Marguerite Wheatley Speaks About Matt Damon
Find out What it was Like Kissing Matt Damon on the set of Invictus
Nov 8, 2009
In the first part of the interview with Marguerite Wheatley she spoke about what it was like working with Clint Eastwood. In the second part of the interview she speaks about her fellow actors in Invictus, Oscar Winners, Matt Damon and Morgan Freeman.
What preconceptions, if any, did you have about Matt Damon and how was the reality different?
"I don't really have preconceptions about people unless I've walked two miles in their shoes - which is physically impossible.
I know that I was very shy before meeting him but when I met him he was just awesome! We went from shaking hands to literally walking onto the set playing husband and wife.
It all happened so quickly but he is very down to earth and very respectful. I wasn't scared of him or anyone else, I was scared of performing badly and forgetting my lines."
What was it like kissing Matt Damon?
"He made me feel very comfortable. It's all very professional so you are aware of where the camera is and you try not to hide your face too much etc. It wasn't a long smooch, so it all went pretty well I guess."
What is your favourite Morgan Freeman film and what did you learn from this amazing actor?
"I think Invictus will be my favourite. His grandeur and smiling eyes says a lot about the person he is. He can play intense characters as well as comedy really well which shows me his diversity as an actor.
I like diversity in people, it shows me that they listen to others and can adapt to any circumstance, I really admire him."
Your first language is Afrikaans, did Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon often ask your help with the language? If so, what did you teach them?
"The rugby boys taught Matt all the bad words. I explained certain figure of speech to him and where it derived from like 'voetsek', in old dutch/afrikaans it meant 'voort se ek', which means 'on you go' or plainly 'get out of here'. I taught him to add certain words to a sentence to make it more authentic like 'ne' or 'ag.' However, a lot of people taught him things about the language too and he also had a dialect coach. Remarkably, Matt knew a lot even before we spoke about the language."
Did friendships develop on set and do you have the personal numbers of the A-listers?
"Friendships always develop on sets and I do keep contact with people I've worked with whether they're A-listers or no-listers or some-listers."
Do you believe that this film will open the gateway to Hollywood for you and allow you to follow in the footsteps of Charlize Theron and other celebrities?
"I don't compare myself to other actors. Charlize is a phenomenal women and actress, yet she is an individual. No one can be compared with her or to any other, our lives are formed independently from each other. I hope that it will help me in the sense that I can apply for a visa or greencard but I'm realistic and I know how tough Hollywood can be."
What has the making of Invictus meant to you personally?
"It made me see what an incredible country we have despite all the tragedy and how far we've come. I get goosebumps just thinking about it.
It made me happy for the unification of our people and sad for the bad guys who make our lives a living hell of fear with regards to violent crimes.
I do understand why people leave SA and it really really breaks my heart because we have such great people here. However, I also support the choice for leaving, I would too as it is exhausting having to look over your shoulder every second of every day. We don't realise it until we go to countries where you won't get killed for a mobile phone and you can feel the stress subside instantly. I feel angry at not being able to live that life in SA too."
Marguerite Wheatley is blessed with good looks, talent and an inexhaustible amount of determination. In addition, she has her feet planted firmly on the ground which obviously does not prevent her from standing her ground amongst Hollywood's greatest. With this rare combination she will undoubtedly gain a lot of ground in the competitive world of acting where many people will come to worship the ground that she walks upon.
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